On the brink of the Top 25 on the Eurovision Top 100 list, we have another winning song: Spain’s “La La La” from 1968.
Spain has had some great entries over the decades. This particular song was the first of them, and perhaps their best. However, if you watched Spain win the contest in 1968 and then split the crown again in 1969, you would not think you’d have to wait at least another 50 or 60 years to see them win again. Yet, as of 2024, this was Spain’s only solo win.
As we will get into a bit later, this song had un poquito de controversidad, which should not detract from the fact that it was worthy in its own right.
Vital Information: “La La La”
| Song | La La La |
| Performed By | Massiel |
| Written By | Ramón Arcusa & Manuel de la Calva |
| Country | Spain |
| Year | 1968 |
| Language(s) Performed In | Spanish |
| How It Fared | Won (29 Points) |
| Was It Fair? | Wasn’t our douze points song but it was a good winner |
What I Liked
Sometimes, songs are just iconic. Putting all other things aside – and there are a lot of things to put aside with this one – it was a fun and upbeat 60s performance. Consider the fact also that she had only a few weeks to hustle back to Spain, learn the song, and perform it in front of tens of millions of people. The Serrat version, at least based on the music video, seemed a little slower and more downbeat. This one had some energy and tempo.
Massiel sang very well and there was a power and elegance to how she carried herself. It was also – dare I say – iconic how she was swinging and shaking while singing the refrain.
Other Facts
- First controversy: This song was originally supposed to be performed by Joan Manuel Serrat. However, while under pressure of his own, Serrat insisted on performing the song in the Catalan language as opposed to Spanish. The Francoist dictatorship would have none of it, so they swapped him out for Massiel weeks before the contest. (European Broadcasting Union, n.d.-a)
- Second controversy: Massiel and Spain won the 1968 contest by just one point over Cliff Richard and the United Kingdom, singing “Congratulations.” Richard was a popular known quantity in Europe and considered a heavy favorite to win. His loss was a shock, and rumors have abounded for decades that Spain’s General Franco helped rig the contest via bribery. Massiel has consistently denied it, while some involved with the British act are said to still be bothered to this day. These allegations have never been conclusively proven. (Hastings, 2023)
- Spain trailed by three points with two countries to go, but Germany gave Spain six points to put them ahead, leading to a collective gasp from the audience. Yugoslavia, the last jury to announce, gave neither Spain nor the UK any points.
- Massiel performed in 15th position out of 17 songs in 1968.
Check Out “La La La”
If you want to see video of the performance, YouTube is one of those places where you can find it.
References
European Broadcasting Union. (n.d.-a). London 1968. Eurovision Song Contest. Retrieved December 6, 2024, from https://eurovision.tv/event/london-1968
Hastings, C. (2023, April 30). Cliff Richard, 82, “never got over Spanish dictator Franco’s plot to fix Eurovision result.” Mail Online. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12029873/Cliff-Richard-82-never-got-Spanish-dictator-Francos-plot-fix-Eurovision-result.html
